Where Have the Manners Gone? – Rant

Let me preface this by saying this has nothing to do with shoes.

Every now and then, I get so fed up with how people act here in London that I just have to vent it out. I would do so a lot more often if this blog was not tied to a business but as it is, I try to keep these rants to a minimum. But as I have a platform to speak to the people, sometimes I just need to take advantage of it in order to get a load off of my chest. And it nearly always stems from what I see on public transportation here in London or how people act on the pavement when walking around.

Now don’t get me wrong with this post as it will be directed at those that live in London. I love London, and Londoners, but absolutely despise the people that have turned into the rat-like mentality that throws away all sense and replaces it with the mentality of me, me, me, now, now, now and screw the person next to me. And that is becoming all too common here in London, and especially with the however millions of tube and bus commuters there are. And that is not to say that everyone is like that as I know that many are like me and think the way that I do, but I do feel like I am quickly becoming the minority as all sense of manners have seemed to disappear for the majority of Londoners and/or tourists.

This sense of being in a rush at all times (and for no reason let me add) has consumed people’s brain and thus day to day activities. London does this to you. Whether you are dictated by your train coming at 6 or 36 mins past the hour, need to sit on the carriage that is closest to the exit to ensure a speedy getaway from the tube or will cram your way onto a full carriage barging everyone over when you could simply wait 2 more mins (not going to drastically change your life), I just feel that everyone has lost their f***ing mind in this city. And people love to blame this on big cities but I disagree. I think that this is London and how it has become due to certain cultural mentalities that I have yet to understand. I have been to NYC many many times and always take the underground but I never see this disgusting behavior, nor did I see it in Hong Kong. I do know that Tokyo has issues with the tube as well but heard that the infamous videos are the suburb trains that commute to Tokyo but not what it is like in the city itself.

But why is it like this? Why have I seen a lady that must have been late 60’s, early 70’s with two luggage’s (that must have been able to carry 40kg a piece) attempting to take them down the stairs in the tube without one person trying to help her and more than 20 capable men blowing right by her? Why did I see a guy get his earphones stuck on another guy’s backpack while attempting to exit the bus and start aggressively yanking on the cord to get it off (looking as if it was about to rip the guys backpack) without simply staying calm and taking it off slowly which would have resulted in doing so easily? Why do I constantly see women offering their seats to pregnant ladies on the tube but the men stay seated? Why do people run in the underground? Where they hell are they going? Why do people cut you off on the escalators literally stepping right in front of you or being so close behind you you can feel their breath on you? WHY??????

What is wrong with this society? No one says thank you anymore and I am always blown away when someone does. How sad is that that I am blown away by a simple thank you. It should be said all of the time. Any time someone holds the door open for you, or lets you pass first or does anything that puts you before them is a reason to thank another person. But people constantly just take advantage of someone’s kindness without a shred of thankfulness. It’s disgusting, it really is. I personally blame technology. Don’t get me wrong, I love technology but I feel that too many weak people have let it replace life itself and the meaning and importance of it. Many people now live in a non-existent reality where nothing outside of themselves matters. It’s strange and sad at the same time, like when you see 4 people at a table in a restaurant and all of them on their phone. Wtf??? I am not going to lie either, I have been apart of that, but feel immediately disgusted when I realize it. But it happens so often. I guarantee if we all threw away our TV’s and Smartphones we would go back to a society of honor and manners. But it would seem that the larger and more advanced technology becomes the more that we are trained to be like rats keeping our heads down, scurrying around only consumed with where we are going and not with what really matters in life: just being happy and content.

Come on people, open your eyes and your brains and realize that we are all here on this planet and if we all were there for one another and not so consumed with our own false idea of self-importance there would be a lot less problems in our world.

Rant done. Thanks for reading.